Hi-hat Microphone Mount

A quick review of the Big Bang Distribution Mic Mount, a really useful solution for miking up your hi-hat – without having another mic stand to cluttering up valuable studio floorspace.

It’s a simple design, but quite cleverly thought out, comprising a bracket for clamping the mounting arm to the hi-hat stand, and the mounting arm itself, which is height adjustable to provide enough room to mount a wide range of microphones.

The only adjustability, apart from moving the main clamp up or down the hi-hat stand main tube, is the vertical extension bar (which the mic clip mounts on) giving approximately 10-12 cms additional height. However, there is no means of adjusting the horizontal width of the mounting arm, although I estimate that it could manage up to 17″ hi-hats, for those that like big hats.

Another slightly negative point is that the main mounting bracket which clamps to the hi-stand stand is not quick-release, so there is some fiddling about with the bolts and washers each time you need to remove or re-mount it. Likewise, the vertical extension bar requires a drum key to unlock/lock the two bolts holding this bar in position. On the other hand, in a permanent, studio set-up, these are very minor points and should not put you off.

Overall, the build quality is pretty good, and certainly perfectly acceptable for the price (I think I paid around US$ 35 plus shipping).

The Mic Mount in Action

Digging out my AKG C451 small diaphragm condensor microphone and mounting it to the Mic Mount took only a couple of minutes. I did have to use a 5/8″ female to 3/8″ male adaptor as the mic clip supplied with the C451 has a 3/8″ thread whereas the Mic Mount is 5/8″ – but you won’t need to if your mic clip has a 5/8″ thread.

I did wonder about the mechanical transmission of noise to the mic, especially when doing lots of left foot pedal action, or really laying into sloshy open hats. Luckily, I had a rather nice Rycote shockmount clip lying around, and was therefore able to do some test recordings comparing the Rycote vs the standard solid plastic AKG clip.

Why you need a shockmount

Here are the recordings using both types of mic clip, with me playing a small variety of closed, open and pedalled hi-hat chicks.

Standard solid plastic AKG mic clip

Rycote Shockmount

The difference is really obvious during the sections where I am laying into the open hats or pedalling, with a nasty rumble transmitted from the hi-hat stand to the microphone when using a standard solid mic clip like the one supplied with the AKG. The Rycote, on the other hand, was fantastic at isolating the mic and preventing any of this nastiness from reaching the mic capsule. I think this test shows just how good the Rycote shockmount is.

Conclusion

The conclusion is obvious: use a decent quality shockmount. Other than that, I think the Mic Mount is an excellent product, well worth its very reasonable asking price, and a great spacesaver when recording in a small room/studio.